Intertribal Opioid Summit Looks To Curb Opioid Epidemic In Tribal Communities

The Muscogee (Creek) Nation held a summit to discuss the ongoing opioid crisis on Monday.

The goal is to bring the tribes together to help solve problems.

Lieutenant Commander Sam Hubler, a pharmacist with the Muscogee Creek Nation Department of Health, demonstrated how to use Narcan.

Narcan, or Naloxone, is a medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

"I like to think of this as like teaching someone CPR,” said Hubler. “You never know when you might come on scene and somebody has an overdose. You could be at the grocery store, on the playground, it could be anywhere."

Anyone can get Narcan at a pharmacy and they don't need a prescription.

Dr. Lance Frye, the Surgeon General for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, says opioid addiction is one of the biggest health concerns the nation is facing right now.

"We want to make sure that we're doing everything we can to correct this problem as quickly as we can,” said Frye. “It's a major issue, it's not easy to fix, people really need help when they're going through this process."

The CDC says Native Americans die more often from overdose than the national average.

Frye says it's important the tribes bring the numbers down.

"We have representation from almost all the tribes here in Oklahoma, and we have representation from outside of the state as well,” said Frye. “To see them come together like this, and work together on a common problem, is really important."

Hubler hopes more people will learn how to help friends and family members who might be struggling with substance abuse.

"This is our home,” said Hubler. “This is our reservation. These are our people. And we want to make sure that they have access to this type of healthcare, to this type of treatment."

This is the first Intertribal Opioid Summit, but organizers say they are hoping to hold one each year.